Brake for power reverse gears



Feb. 12, 1946.- J. KINDERVATE R I BRAKE FOR POWER REVERSE GEAR Filed May 4, 1944 9v on N.

ATTOW a steam locomotive Patented Feb. 12, 1946 Julius Kindervater, Richmond, Va., assignor to American Locomotive Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 4, 1944, Serial No. 534,177

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 188-151) This invention relates to a brake for shafts and is especially adapted for a power reverse gear for and more particularly to an automatic brake for the piston rod of the gear.

An object of the present invention is to provide a brake as aforesaid having a power fluid controlled member contractable to effect gripping of the shaft.

Other and further objects of this invention will appear from the following description the ac,- companying drawing and the appended claims.

The brake of the present invention is especially adapted for braking the reciprocating rods of a power reversegear which are considered comparable with reciprocating shafts, as for instance the piston rod or reach rod of the reverse gear. Therefore," to illustrate the adaptability of the present invention it will be considered hereafter in connection with the power reverse gear.

Referring to the drawing forming a part of this application, Figure 1 .is a foreshortened side clevation of a power reverse gear embodying the present invention, parts being shown in vertical central section and other parts being shown in section on the line II of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line II--II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3

' A valve I 3 is mounted on the quadrant member In. It has a top chamber l4 and a bottom cham-'' ber l5 connected by a passage I6. The top chamber has an exhaust port l1 opening through the top and an outlet port l8 opening through the side. The bottom chamber has an inlet port I! opening through the side. A double-acting valve element having a head 2|. for controlling port I1 and a head '22 for controlling passage 16 is disposed in the top chamber, the heads 2| and 22 being arranged so that only one can seat at a time. Element 20 further has a fluted stem :3 extending through and beyond port I1 and a fluted stem 24 extending through and beyond passage It. A spring 25 in chamber I5 exerts a force on the valve element urging it upward.

A rocker 26 is fulcrumed to the quadrant memher to Just above the valve i3. .One end of the overlies'and engages is a section on the line III-III of Fig. l; and Fig. 4

is a section onthe line IVIV of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawing, the power reverse gear has a cylinder I in which is disposed a reciprocable piston 2 having a cylindrical piston rod 3 which extends through one end of the cylinder and, in practice, is connected at its outer end to the reach rod 3' of the distribution valve gear (not shown) in the usual manner. A valve 4 for controlling the flow of power fluid to and from the cylinder is mounted on top of the cylinder. The valve has a valve element arm 5 pivotaily connected to the top of a floating lever B- which is pivotally connected at its bottom to one end of a link I. The link is pivotally connected at its other end to the piston rod 3.

An operating" rod 8 is pivotally connected at one end to the central portion of th lever B and at its other end to a reverse lever 9. The lever 9 is 'pivotally connected to a notched quadrant member l0, and a latch i I, operated by a handle l2 pivotally connected to the lever 8, is provided for engaging the notches for holding the lever 9 in desired adjusted positions for adjustment of, the piston 2.

The power reverse gear as thus far described is conventional and no further description thereof is deemed necessary. Oniysuflicient of the gear is shown to render an understanding of the present invention.

rocker 28 is pivotally connected to the lower end of a link 21, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to handle l2 at a point thereon spaced vfrom the pivotal connection between the handle l2 and the lever 9. The other end of the rocker head I' of the cylinder remote from the piston] rod, the rod 28 thereby supporting the piston.

The brake of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 29 and, as aforesaid, is well adapted for association with a reciprocable rod of the distribution valve control mechanism that is operatively connected to the piston 2 for longitudinal movement therewith, as for instance the piston rod 3 or the reach rod 3'. In the present instance the brake 29 is associated with the piston rod 3 exteriorly of the cylinder I as this will, in most instances, be found preferable. The brake is for gripping the rod and holding the piston in any desiredadjustedward its inner end the housing 30 is provided with an internal shoulder ll. At the other side a ring 1 or gland 32 is bolted to the housing forming another internal shoulder 33. A resilient shock-absorbing ring 34, which may be made of rubber or other resilient material, is disposed adjacent each shoulder. A floating cylindrical casing is disposed in the housing in clue lit therewith at porthe stem 230! the valve eletions thereof adjacent the ring 34 so that no relative radial movements between the housing and easing occur, and this casing is provided with abutments 38 engaging the rings 34, and annular portions or bosses 31 extending through-the rings 34 for holding them in place. The bosses 31 also closely fit portions of the housing 38. Bushings 38, fitting the rod 3 with a sliding fit, are disposed in the bosses 31. Casing 35 is made in two pieces, one piece including the inner of the bosses 31, an

adjacent abutment 36 and a cylindrical portion 39 extending therefrom to the other piece of casing 35, which other piece includes only the outer boss 31 and the other abutment 36. The cylindrical portion 39 provides an annular space 40 between it and the piston rod 3, this space having side walls formed by the inner faces of the abutments 36 and bosses 31, all as is clearly shown in Fig. 1.

A segmental ring 4| is disposed in space 48 surrounding'and engaging the rod 3, but not fully occupying space 48. A thin resilient ring 42 surrounds and is secured to the ring 4| and an annular hollow resilient tube 43 surrounds ring 42 and fills the remainder of the space 48.

Ring 4| is formed of eight segments 44 which are slightly spaced from each other so that they will grip the rod 3 when gripping pressure is applied. The segments may be made of wood or fibre -Or any other suitable material.

Tube 43 resembles an automobile tire inner tube and may be made of rubber or other suitable material. 7

The housing 30, casing cylindrical portion 39, and the outer circumferential wall of tube 43 are provided with aligned orifices 45, 46 and 41, respectively. A .pipe 48 connects orifice 45 with port l8. A short nipple 49 is secured in orifice 41 and extends through orifices 46 and 45 into the adjacent endof pipe 48.

A pipe 50 connects port l9 with a source of power fluid supply (not shown). It is conventional practice to employ an elastic fluid such as compressed air from an air reservoir to operate the piston 2 and in such case pipe 58 may be connected to the same reservoir and air employed to actuate the brake 29.

The operation of the reverse gear and brake is as follows:

The gear is shown in the drawing in neutral or zero cut-off position. In order to start the locomotive, the engineer first grips the handle l2 and moves it toward the lever 9. This lifts the latch H out of engagement with the notches of the quadrant and at the same time lifts link 21 and pivots rocker 28, pushing valve element 20-downward, compressing'spring 25,- opening port Hand closing passage IS. The pressure of the air, or other fluid, in tube 43 is thereby released by exhaust through port I1, deflating tube 43 and releasing the segments 44 from their grippin of the rod 3.

The engineer then moves lever 9 to the desired cut-oil position, retaining his grip on handle l2 until piston 2 is moved by air to its proper posi tion in a conventional manner, to set the distribution valve gear (not shown) to the desired cutoff position, no further description of this part of the operation of the reverse gear being therefdre deemed necessary. a I

When piston. 2 has reached its proper position, the engineer releases his grip on handle l2, whereby latch' I l looks with the proper notch of the quadrant, and rocker 26 releases valve element 28. Spring 25 then reacts, pushing valve element 20 upward, closing port I! and opening passage I6.

Air .or other fluid from pipe 50 then flows into chamber l5, through passage l6 into chamber l4 and through pipe 48 to tube 43. Tube 43 is thereby inflated, pressing the segments 44 into gripping engagement with the rod 3 and holding the piston against any movement from its proper adjusted position. By so holding the piston rod, the piston is prevented from creeping, which i a well-known undesirable possibility of reverse gear pistons.

The shock-absorbing rings 34 cushion any axial thrusts that the distribution valve gear may exert on the brake when the brake is gripping,

Rod 28, besides supporting the piston, also partially reduces the working areaon the left side.

(Fig. 1) of the piston so that it more nearly balances the working area on the right side of the piston.

While there has been hereinbei'ore described an approved embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that many and various changes and modifications in form, arrangement of parts and details of construction thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims are contemplated as a part of this invention The invention claimed anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A brake for a reciprocable shaft comprising a segmental ring adapted to surround said shaft. with the segments of said ring having clearance therebetween, cushioning means for absorbing axial shocks applied to said ring, a flexible hollow ring-like member surrounding said segmental ring about the exterior circumferential face thereof, and controllable means for providing said.

ring-like member surrounding said segmental ring about the exterior circumferential face thereof. a rigid backing for sa d member, and

controllable means for providing said member with, and relieving said member of. a p'ower fluid for respectively inflating said member to contract said rin to force said segments to gr p said shaft, and deflating said member to expand said'ring to release said segments from said grip.

3. A brake for a reciprocable shaft comprising a segmental ring adapted to surround said shaft, with the segments of said ring hav ng clearance therebetween, cushioning means for absorbing axial shocks applied to said ring, a flexible 1101- low ring-like member surrounding said se mental ring about the exterior circumferent al face thereof, a housing supporting said cushioning means having an orificed end for saidshaft, a packing gland in said orifice, and controllable means for providing said member w th, and relieving said member of, a power fluid for respectively inflating said member to contract said ring to force said segments'to grip said shaft, and defiating said member to expand said ring to release therebetween, a flexible hollow ring-like member surrounding said segmental ring about the elite rior circumferential face thereof, controllable means for providing said member with, and relieving said member of, a power fluid for respectively inflating said member to contract said ring to force said segments to grip said shaft, and deflating said member to expand said ring to release said segments from said grip, and cushion- 

